Local News

Trip, letters inspire veteran to share story

Lorraine Davison enlisted in U.S. Navy Waves

Lorraine Davison talks about her trip on the Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. during a recent VFW Auxiliary meeting, May 17. (Sara Waite / Sterling Journal-Advocate)

Lorraine Davison, a veteran of the U.S. Navy Waves, recently returned from an Honor Flight trip to Washington, D.C., an experience she talked about at the VFW Auxiliary meeting on May 17.

She shared with her fellow VFW and Auxiliary members how the recognition of the veterans started before they even left Colorado, with flags and musical entertainment, a motorcycle escort for the buses and more.

There were nearly 200 people on the trip, including the volunteers who escorted the veterans. The first night included a banquet with a guest speaker. The next day, on May 8, the group visited Arlington National Cemetery and the Marine memorial. Davison noted it was V-E Day, or Victory in Europe Day, which "made it an extra special day for us."

The tour also visited the World War II Memorial, Washington Monument, Vietnam War Memorial, and other sites in Washington, D.C. In honor of V-E Day, the group also got to meet with Vice President Mike Pence, whom Davison said "was really awesome. ... I'm saying, he's going to be our next president — whether in four months or four years. He's going to be a neat president."

"It reinforced my belief in America," she said. "I believe that we're going to be ok."

Davison shared the souvenirs she received on the trip and said it was an awesome trip.

As part of the experience, Davison received several letters from students that inspired her to want to share her story. She also said she planned to become an ambassador for the Honor Flight, to keep the program alive. She penned the following as a letter to the editor to fulfill those goals:

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"It was my privilege along with 123 other veterans to travel to Washington D.C. on Northern Colorado's 'HONOR FLIGHT' Sunday, May 7, and May 8, Victory in Europe Day.

"All of us veterans received about 12 letters from school children across the U.S., thanking us for our service, asking us about our experiences. All our veterans need to relate our stories while we can as we are losing thousands of older veterans a week. This is my story I will be mailing to the students who gave their names.

"When I turned 18 as a senior in a small Nebraska town, I researched the services and decided on early-enlistment in the U.S. Navy Waves. In the summer I took my first ever train ride to Omaha, Neb. and "shipped" out on my first jet airplane ride to Bainbridge, Maryland for recruit training. After training I was given my choice of journalism school or photography school. After a short 'leave' back to my family in Nebraska, I reported to Pensacola, Fla. to the U.S. School of Photography. A week before graduation the next summer while the school was in morning muster and we were assembled at attention in our class groups, a Wave in Personnel yelled out the second story window, 'Hey, Harris, you received orders for a ship!' Hilarity broke out from the whole school, as Waves were not allowed on naval ships in 1965 and several more years. Needless to say, I remained in Pensacola for a few more days as my classmates shipped out to their new assignments. My new orders were for Corpus Christi, Texas, where my job was as photography shop receptionist, and took portraits of the naval officers when they received their wings (graduated flight school). It was fun being a 3-striper telling officers 'lower your chin,' 'turn your shoulders,' etc.

"Being a veteran has been a positive effect on my entire life in the last 50 years. Besides teaching me to be a leader and a help to our citizens and country, it has helped send me to college, can guarantee home loans, open doors to employment, and most important of all, provides health care as we age.

"I am proud of my father, son, son-in-law, nephews, and now a super grandson who have so proudly served our country. I encourage young people today to join and support our United States and keep America free.

"Find information on the 18th Honor Flight on Facebook at V.P Pence/Honor Flight, as he invited coordinator Mr. Cass to bring the Honor Flight to the Vice Presidential Office in observance of Victory in Europe Day, and spoke to us about military support, V.A. health care and thanked us for our service. And yes, he shook our hands!

"Some of the veterans on the flight were from Sterling, Akron, Stoneham and Grant, Neb. Veterans from WWII, Korean Conflict and Vietnam are needed to apply for future honor flights to keep it in existance; it is an all expenses paid trip. About 60 volunteers are needed for each flight to help with the veterans. These counselors pay some of their own expenses."

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